Click on the pictures to enlarge
These instructions are for the Papa Bear's Sock Loom which we no longer sell, but the information here applies to all socks.
Click on the pictures to enlarge
These instructions are for the Papa Bear's Sock Loom which we no longer sell, but the information here applies to all socks.
This sock was made with one strand of Fortissima Colori self-patterning sock yarn and one strand of regular worsted weight yarn. By itself, self-patterning sock yarnwould be too thin to use with the Papa Bear Sock Loom. But, when you combine it with a strand of fingering or worsted weight yarn, it is juuust right! It's fun to watch the pattern develop and the socks knit up much more quickly than they would using the sock yarn by itself. You also save money because you can make several socks with one skein of the more expensive sock yarn. Some of the popular self-patterning yarns are: Regia, Opal, Socka, Jawoll, Confetti and Fortissima Colori.
To find out how many pegs you will use, you need to measure the circumference of the foot at the widest part. To do this, wrap a tape measure around the ball of the foot, just before the toes.
To determine how long to make the sock, You need to measure the length of the foot from the heel to the longest toe. Stand on a ruler with your heel and the end of the ruler both against a wall. Be sure to put your weight on the ruler, as this will make a difference in the measurement.
Knit a 4 to 6 inch long sample swatch with the yarn you will be using to find out how many stitches per inch and rows per inch that particular yarn produces on the sock loom. (see basic instructions) Multiply the number of stitches (pegs) per inch from your sample swatch, by the measurement (inches) around the ball of the foot (circumference). For example if your sample swatch has a measurement of 5 stitches per inch, and the circumference of your foot at the widest part is 8 inches you would say, "5 X 8 = 40". So, you would need to wrap the yarn around 40 pegs. If you wind up with an odd number, just round the number up to the next number, because we always use an even number of pegs. You can use the sock size chart below as a shortcut
To find the number of pegs needed: 1) find the circumference of your project in the columns to the left; 2) Calculate the stitches per inch that you get using the yarn and loom with which you're planning on doing the project, and find that number in the top row of numbers; 3) Now, using these two numbers, run your finger down and across to find the number of pegs needed to do your project.
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Circumference |
Stitches per inch |
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inches |
cm | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| 10.5 | 26.5 | 48 | 52 | 58 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 84 | 88 | 94 |
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10 |
25.5 | 44 | 50 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 70 | 74 | 80 | 84 | 90 |
| 9.5 | 24 | 42 | 48 | 52 | 58 | 62 | 66 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 |
| 9 | 23 | 40 | 44 | 48 | 54 | 58 | 62 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 82 |
| 8.5 | 21.5 | 38 | 42 | 46 | 50 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 |
| 8 | 20.5 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 48 | 53 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 |
| 7.5 | 19 | 34 | 38 | 42 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 |
| 7 | 18 | 32 | 36 | 38 | 42 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 58 | 62 |
| 6.5 | 16.5 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 38 | 42 | 44 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 58 |
| 6 | 15 | 26 | 30 | 32 | 36 | 38 | 42 | 44 | 48 | 50 | 54 |
| 5.5 | 14 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 38 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 |
| 5 | 12.5 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 |
| 4.5 | 11.5 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 |
| 4 | 10 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 |
Follow the basic instructions for the Dream Board, with the following additional directions for wrapping the pegs and pulling the loops over the pegs.
Because the pegs are T-shaped, there is a way to make the wrapping process easier. You will be using one hand to wrap the yarn around the pegs and one finger of the other hand to guide the yarn around the peg. Just resting your finger lightly on back edge of the peg being wrapped is all it takes to guide the yarn around the side of the peg.
The method used for pulling the loops over the pegs is similar to the wrapping method above. After you have pulled the loop over the peg, you continue pulling the loop down a little past the head of the T-shape, then you rest your finger lightly on the back edge of the peg. This keeps the yarn in place until you have inserted the tool into the loop of the next peg, which draws the loop that was just knit down into place.
An alternate
method of wrapping the
pegs. Works especially well at the corners.
The Papa Bear Sock Loom works well with sport weight and worsted weight yarn. If you want an extra heavy sock, you can try using even heavier yarns. Try a sample swatch first to test the yarn. You can also combine one strand of sock yarn with a strand of fingering weight yarn , sport weight yarn or worsted weight yarn.
Follow the directions above to determine the correct number of pegs needed. See the basic instructions for the Dream Board for more detailed directions than will be given in this pattern.
Using the basic, single stitch, wrap the required number of pegs, wrapping the yarn clockwise around each peg. After you have wrapped each peg all the way around the loom, moving in a counter-clockwise direction, you need to go around again so that each peg has two loops on it. Pull the top loop over the bottom loop of each peg and wrap all of the pegs so that each peg again has two loops on it. Pull the top loop over the bottom loop of each peg and continue in this manner, until you have knit twice the width of the cuff that you want to have on the socks.
Form the cuff on the sock (See basic instructions: Making the Cuff of a Hat)
Continue knitting until the leg of the sock is the length you want to make it.
(You can make a simple tube sock, by continuing to knit the number of rows needed for the length of the foot and then closing the tube at the toe of the sock, or you can use the following directions to make a heel on the sock.)
Forming the Heel
Study the basic instructions that talk about how to decrease and increase. Then continue with these directions.
Look at the picture that has numbers next to some of the pegs. The portion of the sock that will become the heel of the sock is usually 50%. You may want to adjust that a little, if the foot is extra wide or extra narrow.
The sock we are using in our example, is for a foot with a circumference of 9 inches and the yarn produced 5 stitches per inch. Therefore, we are knitting on 44 pegs. The 6 pegs on the end piece at the bottom of the picture, will form the back of the heel. The pegs numbered 2-9 and 11-18 will form the sides of the heel. (We are ignoring all of the pegs on the top half of the loom in the picture, until after the heel is formed. We will knit back and forth, building up the heel section. Then we will go back and continue knitting in the round on all of the pegs, until we reach the toe of the sock.)
Decreasing at the Heel
You have been knitting round and round the loom, traveling in a counter-clockwise direction to form the leg of the sock. You will pass peg number 18,17, 16 15 and 14. After you wrap peg number 13, you stop wrapping pegs and pull the bottom loop over the top loop of number 13 and all of the other pegs that you have wrapped before it.
Next, you take the loop that is on peg number 11 and carefully transfer it to peg number 12. There are now two loops on peg number 12. You need to treat those two loops as if they were one loop later, when it is time to pull the bottom loop over the top loop.
Now, we will be traveling back the other way, moving clockwise around the loom. So, wrap the yarn counter-clockwise around peg number 12. There are now three loops on peg number 12. Next, wrap the yarn counter-clockwise around peg number 13 and number 14 and so on until you reach peg number 4. After you wrap peg number 4, you stop wrapping pegs and pull the bottom loop over the top loop of number 4 and all of the other pegs that you have wrapped before it. Remember to pull both of the bottom two loops over the top loop when you get to peg number 12.
Next, you take the loop that is on peg number 2 and carefully transfer it to peg number 3. There are now two loops on peg number 3. You need to treat those two loops as if they were one loop later, when it is time to pull the bottom loop over the top loop.
Now, we will be traveling back the other way, moving counter-clockwise around the loom. So, wrap the yarn clockwise around peg number 3. There are now three loops on peg number 3. Next, wrap the yarn clockwise around peg number 4 and number 5 and so on until you reach peg number 14. After you wrap peg number 14, you stop wrapping pegs and pull the bottom loop over the top loop of number 14 and all of the other pegs that you have wrapped before it. Remember to pull both of the bottom two loops over the top loop of peg number 3.
Next, you take the loop that is on peg number 12 and carefully transfer it to peg number 13. There are now two loops on peg number 13. You need to treat those two loops as if they were one loop later, when it is time to pull the bottom loop over the top loop.
Now, we will be traveling back the other way, moving clockwise around the loom. So, wrap the yarn counter-clockwise around peg number 13. There are now three loops on peg number 13. Next, wrap the yarn counter-clockwise around peg number 14 and number 15 and so on until you reach peg number 5. After you wrap peg number 5, you stop wrapping pegs and pull the bottom loop over the top loop of number 5 and all of the other pegs that you have wrapped before it. Remember to pull both of the bottom two loops over the top loop of peg number 13.
Continue knitting back and forth in the same manner, decreasing one peg each time, until the heel is the size you need for your size sock. For an adult sock, you might want to leave 12 pegs at the back of the heel. That would mean in this example that you would stop decreasing when you have transferred the loop from peg number 15 to peg number 16 and from peg number 6 to peg number 7. For a small child's sock, you might want to decrease the heel until you only have 6 pegs left with loops on them at the heel. That would mean that you have transferred the loop from pegs number 18 and 9 to the end pieces. The socks are stretchy, so it isn't very important to choose an exact heel width.
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Transferring the loop on peg number 11 to peg number 12 for the first decrease |
Transferring the last decrease to the end piece will make a narrow heel for a small child's sock. |
The decreased stitches for a narrow heel are hanging down. You will pick them back up in the next step: increasing. |
Increasing at the Heel
You now have half of the stitches on each of the side pieces hanging off their pegs. (How did that happen?) Well, now it's time to put them back on. We are going to travel back and forth again, but this time we will put one of the stitches back on it's peg with each row. Until we reach peg number 1 and peg number 10. Then we will continue knitting in the round on all of the pegs, until we reach the toe of the sock.
First wrap each of the six pegs on the end piece. Then knit them off by pulling the bottom loop over the top loop of each peg. When you get to the end of the row, you need to put the first of the hanging stitches back onto the next empty peg.
Count how many pegs you have that are empty, then look at the part of the stitches that are hanging down, no longer on pegs. There should be one stitch for each empty peg. The stitches that you transfer are on the edge of the fabric and stick out further than the rest of the yarn. It looks a little like someone wrapped the yarn around and around the rest of the yarns on the edge. Those outer wraps are the ones you need to insert your tool into.
There are several methods of transferring the hanging stitches back onto the pegs. I will tell you two of the methods. You can choose which you like best:
Transferring the stitch directly onto the peg.
Method #1: The easiest way is to simply transfer the stitch directly onto the peg. Insert your tool into the first stitch on the hanging down edge. (Remember there is one stitch for each empty peg. You can count them each time to make sure you are still on track) Transfer the stitch onto the peg. That's it!
Method #2: Insert a crochet hook into the first stitch on the hanging down edge (the stitch to be picked up). Wrap the yarn around the crochet hook and pull a loop through the stitch that is on the hook. Transfer that loop onto the peg. You've completed an increase.
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Inserting crochet hook into stitch to be picked up. |
Wrapping yarn around crochet hook, ready to draw it through the stitch to be picked up. |
Transferring loop onto peg. |
After transferring one stitch onto the next empty peg, you need to wrap each of the pegs with yarn, starting with the peg that you just transferred the new loop onto, and ending at the last empty peg on the other side of the end pieces. Now all of the pegs at the heel of the sock should each have two loops on them. If the end peg has three loops on it, you accidentally transferred an increase loop onto a peg that already had a loop on it, instead of transferring it to the next empty peg.
Now, pull the bottom loop over the top loop of each peg. When you get to the end of the row, you need to transfer the next of the hanging stitches back onto the next empty peg. Now, it's time to go back the other way. Wrap all of the pegs, including the peg that you just transferred the new loop onto, and ending at the last empty peg on the other side of the end pieces.
Continue knitting back and forth, putting one of the stitches back on it's peg each time you get to the end of the row, until you have no more empty pegs. Now continue wrapping all of the pegs all the way around the loom and knit them off by pulling the bottom loop over the top loop of each peg.
Continue knitting until the length of the tube is about two inches from where you want the sock to end. Now it is time to make the tube smaller to taper at the toes.
Decreasing at the Toe
The decrease stitches will be located on the sides of the toes. You will mark the two pegs that you want to be the center of the decrease stitches by tying a piece of thread to the bottom of the pegs. The two pegs that you mark are the middle pegs of the sock, one on the right side piece and one on the left side piece. In the chart above, the middle pegs are right between peg number 1 and 2 and between peg number 10 and 11. Tie a piece of thread around the bottom of either pegs 1 and 10 or pegs 2 and 11. The choice is flexible, as long as you choose two pegs that are directly across from each other, near the middle of the side pieces of the loom.
Loosen the bolt that is keeping an end piece tight and slide that end piece one position closer to the center of the sock. Align the pegs on the end piece with the new set of pegs on the long pieces. Tighten the bolt. On both side pieces, transfer the loop that is on the peg marked with thread to the next peg. Transfer it in the direction away from the end piece that was moved. You will now have an empty peg, (marked with string) and the peg next to it with two loops on it. Ignore the double loops where you have decreased for now. Beginning with the peg on the other side of the empty peg, fill in the empty space by transferring all the loops on the pegs over one peg. Leave empty pegs at the ends of the long pieces, then transfer the loops that are on the pegs that are outside the loom onto these empty pegs. Knit the next row as usual except that when you come to the two pegs where you decreased, (Note that those two pegs will be the only ones with three loops on them.) pull both of the bottom two loops over the top loop instead of just one as you normally do. If the loops are tight, you can pull them over one at a time, but be sure to pull them both over before you move on to the next peg.
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End pieces moved inward. |
Pegs outside loom with loops on them. |
Transferring loop to corner peg. |
Now move the other end piece and repeat as above. Continue decreasing as above until there are approximately 30 to 32 pegs left with loops on them for an adult sock or around 18 to 20 pegs for a small child's sock. Now it is time to finish the tip of the toe.
Toe Finishing
Cut the yarn, leaving a 20 inch tail. Thread the tail of yarn into a large, blunt needle with a large eye. Then, insert the needle through the loop that's on the peg next to the peg that the tail is coming from. Pull the yarn all the way through the loop and remove the loop from the peg. Insert the needle through the loop of the next peg and so forth until all of the loops are threaded onto the tail of the yarn. Turn the sock inside out. Next, carefully pull the yarn to gather the loops together until the toe of the sock is smooth and flat. Match up the stitches of the top of the sock's toe to the stitches of the bottom of the socks toe, keeping the sock toe flat. Sew up the toe seam securely, so that you can't see any holes there. Tie a knot and thread the tail back through the knitting to hide it. Trim the end. See Tying the Last Knot and Hiding Yarn "Tails" below.
Tying the Last Knot and Hiding Yarn "Tails"
Insert the needle into a nearby stitch and pull the yarn through until the loop is almost closed. Insert the needle into the loop that is almost closed and pull the yarn tight. Repeat this a couple more times. This will keep the end of the yarn from coming loose.
You will always have at least one "tail" dangling about when you have tied your last knot. Hide those loose ends by running them through the center of some stitches inside the sock. You do this by threading the yarn "tail" onto a large-eyed needle. Then insert the needle into the knitting and run it inside the stitches for several inches. Pull the needle to tighten the strand of yarn and cut the yarn close to where it comes out of the knitting, letting the end slip back into the stitching. If any of the tail is still showing, trim off the excess. If there are any holes where you made the heel, you can take small stitches there to close the holes and tie of the ends of the yarn and hide the tails.
